Hand Of Sorrow
by Jinko
Summary: Harry Potter was taken in by Albus Dumbledore to become the perfect assassin. What Albus didn't expect was for Harry to fall in love with one of his students, let alone the son of Voldemort's most loyal. AU
1. Chapter One

**Disclaimer: I am not receiving any money for this hobby of mine since I do not own my fandom.**

**Summary:**** Inspired by the song by Within Temptation. Harry was taken in by Albus when his parents were killed by Voldemort. He was six. He is raised to be the perfect assassin and has killed Voldemort before his teen years. The real trouble is his followers, which are left over. Not only that, but he's living in Hogwarts without actually having anything to do with the students around him. On his way home one night, he sees someone his own age and is instantly intrigued by him. Over the years, the two form a friendship and then a love while Harry tries to destroy the left over army.**

**The painful part of it is that the leader of the army is Draco's father.**

**Warnings:**** There will be graphic fighting (and **_**maybe**_** a lemon). Also, it's gonna be slightly angsty. It will be slash-BOY LOVE!!**

**Pairings:**** Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy; Severus Snape/Remus Lupin**

**I hope you all enjoy!!**

**Hand of Sorrow**

**By Jinko**

**-**

**Prologue**

**-**

_The child without a name grew up to be the hand_

_To watch you, to shield you, to kill on demand_

_Within Temptation-'Hand of Sorrow'_

**-**

Sparkling, innocent green eyes observed everything with fear. Our the corner of his left eye, he saw his Uncle Sirius was hit by one of those deadly green curses that his parents had warned him about over and over again. To his right, his father struck down the man he was fighting against with a red blast. Above them, an emerald skull loomed over him, glaring at the enemies of the Dark Lord as it taunted them at the same time. He might have been only six years old, but he knew what that sign meant. Someone he cared for had lost their life.

He was frozen to the spot. He wasn't too sure what was going on. His parents had taken him to Diagon Alley for new robes (under the disguise of a different family) when they were attacked. Death Eaters surrounded them in a moment, ordering their surrender. His mother had quickly thrown him into a small alleyway and had told him to be quiet. She then covered him with protection spells and camouflaged him the best she could. Before he knew it, he was ducking as curse after curse flew over his head.

And now, even though several Order members had joined in on the battle, Harry Potter could see that his loved ones were losing. There was another quick flash to his side, signalling the death of another. His eyes watered as he saw his Uncle Remus get hit by a curse that cut his chest open. That just scared him more when someone with lengthy black hair dragged the werewolf's unmoving body next to him. For a moment, their eyes connected, black and green, before Harry saw that damning tattoo on the man's forearm.

Despite his mother's warning, Harry gasped. The man leant forward and covered his mouth with his hand. "Don't say a word," he breathed as he leant closer. "You need to stay hidden."

Shocked, Harry couldn't even nod his head at the stranger. After a moment, the stranger tried his hardest to settle Harry down.

"Just keep quiet."

Harry looked at the man with fear before he finally stood to leave, abandoning Harry and Remus' limp body.

It wasn't long before the screaming consumed him. No matter how many people they had on their side, the followers of the Dark Lord had them doubled at every corner. From where Harry was sitting, he could easily see his parents, which wasn't the greatest thing. It was especially bad when the Dark Lord stepped onto the battlefield. James was the first to take him on, despite the shoutings of others. They all told him to wait until Albus arrived, but he didn't listen.

Harry felt like he needed a barrier from that man and his own body. He didn't care for what it was, just as long as it was placed before him. Just seeing that creature made his skin crawl. For years now, Harry had been told not to be scared of Lord Voldemort, but it happened all the same. He had heard stories from the others, when he was meant to be sleeping, about the Dark Lord and the atrocities he had committed. However, there was nothing there to separate him from the dark wizard. He could only hope that he was never seen.

And then there was the battle between Voldemort and his father. James ducked and weaved around the flashes of green light, evading them to the best of his abilities while getting out as many curses as he could. They weren't enough. The stronger, older wizard deflected them as if they were twigs thrown at him. His wand flicked and slick words slipped from his mouth.

There was a brief moment where a Death Eater tripped James over. Snickering to himself and holding his chest out proudly, the Death Eater turned to face his Lord, expecting nothing but the highest praise. Rather, Voldemort destroyed the mask that covered his face and backhanded him in a single motion. He shouted out something about the etiquette of fighting and allowed James to get back on his feet and steady himself before he fired another curse at him.

The Death Eater was quickly tackled by Mad Eye, an old Auror that had often taken Harry when he needed protection. Before Harry knew it, the Death Eater was tied up and Apparated away by another Auror so that he could be tried for his crimes. It didn't seem to bother Voldemort at all. He clearly didn't want such an improper dueller amongst his ranks.

Movements just a few feet from Harry caught his attention. A woman with long dark hair was duelling against his mother. She was skilled, going after Lily as quickly as Harry had ever seen a person fight. A quick shot from behind from an unknown wand had the Death Eater Stunned. Lily had her tied up and sent her on her way before she turned to face one of the worst sights in the world.

Harry didn't even know when his body had started to move, but the moment he saw his dad struck down by one of those deadly green curses, he was on his feet and running out towards his fallen body. He couldn't register the cries that came from the others, begging him to go back into hiding. He couldn't register the fact that he had just thrown himself into the firing range of several Death Eaters.

What he did understand, though, was that he had seen his father die before his eyes and seconds after he was out in the open, his mother's warm arms were around him and carrying him away from the dead body.

He was too stunned to cry over the loss of his father. Rather, his eyes wouldn't move from the sight, even when his mother's red hair got in between him and the view.

For a moment, a tall man whose draping platinum hair stood behind his mother. His face was covered by the ghastly white mask all Death Eaters were forced to wear, but that wasn't the thing that had Harry's voice working for the first time since the attack started. Instead, it was the way he raised his wand at Lily. He gripped it so hard that Harry saw his knuckles turn white before a burst of red came out from the tip of his wand.

A choked scream came from Harry's throat as he tried to warn his mother of the attack. It wasn't enough. He heard her bite back a cry and felt as her feet stumbled while she ran. She managed to keep them upright, but she was in obvious pain. As Lily continued to run, Harry watched as the blonde man and the Dark Lord spoke. A cruel smile twisted the non-existent lips of Voldemort as he continued with the chase.

He didn't know how far his mother ran for or how long she had kept it up. All that he knew was that by the time she had finished running, he couldn't hear the screaming and he couldn't see the falling bodies. They were safe. She collapsed against a stone wall and held him close to her.

Tearing up, Harry curled up in his mother's lap and cried his heart out. It wasn't because he had lost his father and his Sirius, but because he had been that damn scared. He was so terrified that the tears didn't stop. He could feel that ever-loving hand on his head as Lily did everything she could to calm him down. He cried and he cried and he cried.

He only stopped when he felt his mother shudder. Harry looked up quickly and saw a look of pure fear on her face. Despite the hands that clutched for him to pull him into safety, Harry turned around in his mother's arms and faced the enemy. Voldemort was standing above them, smugly looking down at the two of them.

With a high-pitched cackle, Voldemort knelt down so that he was face to face with Lily. "I bet you're pretty terrified right about now," he grinned and reached out to ruffle Harry's hair with his hand. Instantly, Harry flinched away and smacked back the cold, bone-like hand. It only made Voldemort laugh harder. "He's so alike his father, no?"

"Don't touch him," Lily hissed. It was then that Harry realised that her wand had been dropped somewhere. He couldn't see it anywhere, which meant they were at the Dark Lord's mercy. "Take me instead."

Voldemort's lipless mouth turned up into the cruellest smile Harry had ever seen. "That won't do me any good. Lucius' has taken care of that well enough. At this very moment, you have a barb imbedded in your lungs and it'll grow any moment now. It'll tear you apart from the inside out."

While Harry mightn't have had a clue what any of that meant, he knew it was bad. "Take it out," he demanded angrily, wriggling out of Lily's arms. With the little might he could muster, he shoved Voldemort hard in the chest. It didn't budge him at all. In fact, the only thing it managed to do was scare the life out of Lily. Whatever it was that her son was doing, it was stupid. "Take it out." With that, he pushed the Dark Lord harder.

Voldemort merely laughed at the boy. Once he was finished with his chuckle, he snapped a hand around Harry's upper up and dragged him close to him to look at the boy closely. Lily struggled to sit up and stop him, but she could feel the effect of the barb in her body. She could feel it moving about, growing, ripping her insides,

"Run, Harry," she pleaded weakly.

Harry's young body thrashed about, but his tiny strength did nothing to the aged wizard.

"You're supposed to be a smart witch, Lily. Kindly tell me what this young boy is supposed to do to me. According to that prophecy, what makes this boy so strong?" He ran a hand down Harry's face, observing every detail about the small boy. "I could snap him in two without any trouble. There's nothing special about him at all. Maybe I should have gone after the Longbottom boy."

He carelessly continued stroking Harry's face until Harry bit him between his thumb and his index finger. With a hiss, Voldemort smacked Harry across the face, letting go of him just to watch the boy land face down on the ground.

"You beast," Lily accused with scathing eyes. However, she also noticed how free Harry was. "Go Harry. Run as far and as fast as you can."

Instead of listening to his mother, Harry turned his eyes up to her again and stood between Lily and Voldemort. "No. Sweetie, go while you still can." Her words were abruptly stopped as she gasped in pain.

Harry shook his head and stood his ground.

"That's right, isn't it, Harry? You want to watch your own mother die," Voldemort cooed and raised his bloodied hand up to Harry's chin again. "Lucius told me she'd be dead within seven minutes. Why don't you watch with me?"

"Unless you want a finger bitten off this time, you better take that thing out of her," Harry warned in his own high-pitched voice. "I'm not letting you hurt her." Lily made a sound so to not encourage her son. It was all that she could do for him.

"Aren't you sweet?" Voldemort smiled with sadistic tenderness. He reached out and brushed his hand through Harry's hair again. He specifically bled on Harry's forehead, wiping the spilt blood on Harry's skin. "I want you to feel this blood, Harry. It's this blood that has ruined you all. Each and every Mudblood, Muggleborn, Squib and mixed-blood freaks like you will be killed. I'll slaughter you all."

The next move shocked Voldemort. As he continued to touch Harry, movement caught his eye. Before he knew it, he was forced to duck his head as a fallen brick flew at it. For a moment, all three paused. No one had audibly caused that spell and no one had their wands out. Voldemort threw Harry back into Lily's lap and grabbed the brick from where it had landed. Pulling out his wand, he examined it with a muttered spell and turned back to Harry with the same words on his lips. Neither Potter moved at the threat that was Lord Voldemort's wand, but he seemed quite interested in what he saw.

"Lily, tell me, do you happen to know that colour of your son's aura?" As he asked this, he grabbed Harry by his upper arm again in a grip that had Harry fearing that his bone would snap. "You don't know? It's emerald, Lily. Your son has an aura the same colour of Slytherin's trademark. I find that quite interesting. Would you like to know what I saw around that brick? Do you have any clue who the last person to charm it was? I saw nothing but emerald green surrounding it, Lily. You have quite the child, it would seem. If you have any fears that he's a Squib, you're highly mistaken." He lowered his head down so that he was at eyelevel with Harry. "My, my, you're powerful for your age. I can't imagine a person _ten_ years older than you being able to perform what you just did." Harry scowled at him angrily. He hadn't an idea what the Dark Lord was talking about, but it seemed to interest both Voldemort and his mother. "You see, you just did wordless and _wandless_ magic, Harry. Do you have any idea how hard that is? For a child to be doing something like that is truly amazing. Best I kill you now before you recognise your true potential, then?"

Lily tried to reach out to her son to drag him back, but Voldemort sharply pulled Harry closer to his body. Harry scowled and kicked at the older wizard, scoring against his shins, his ankles and lastly struck out with his elbow, forcing his hardest point of his body into Voldemort's groin. The smack that he received to the back of his head left him feeling dizzy and a little sick in his stomach.

"That wasn't very nice, Harry," Voldemort breathed out in obvious agony before he sent Harry a twisted smirk. "But, I suppose I haven't been very nice to you, either. I _did_ kill your father, after all."

Hearing that had Lily's breath catch in her throat. Harry fought back against the man again, but was still fighting a losing battle. He could barely see straight anymore.

Voldemort swore under his breath and stood quickly, whirling around to face the footsteps he had heard. At the same time, he curled his fingers in Harry's hair and yanked hard, forcing the boy to follow his movements. Harry let out a pained cry, one that was mirrored by his terrified mother, and watched as Albus Dumbledore approached them. The old wizard held a grim look on his face as he stepped closer and closer, and for the briefest of moments, Harry saw those blue eyes flicker down to his own green before they focused on Voldemort again.

"Albus-so nice to see you," Voldemort taunted and pulled harder on Harry's hair as a warning to the older man. Harry was stretched so far by his follicles that he had to stand on his toes to alleviate the pain. "You took your time showing up. Because you waited so long, little Harry Potter here is but a few minutes away from being an orphan."

"It'd be in your best interest to let Harry go," Albus suggested. "You're not a stupid man, Tom. Leave Harry be-he's but a child. What harm could he do?"

Voldemort laughed at that. "I know damn well of that prophecy." Harry saw Albus' wand twitch before the man could stop himself. "It might have taken me a while to figure out what you were doing with the Potters, but now I'm fully capable of stopping my own death."

"And you could kill a little boy? Even after all you've done, surely killing an innocent boy is beyond you."

The hand holding Harry's hair shook roughly, forcing Harry to trip. "You know me better than that," Voldemort sneered. "I've killed little boys before, Albus. I certainly don't have a problem destroying this one."

The words scared Harry. "Professor," he whimpered, finally finding his voice.

"It'll be alright, Harry, I won't let him hurt you," Albus promised softly.

And that was when the tears started to fall. "But he's killed Dad and-and there's something inside Mum and…" Harry started to sob horribly, which only served to piss off the Dark Lord. His entire body shook as Voldemort threw him around again before he was thrown to the ground. He didn't hear a single thing as his body approached the stone and once his head connected with it, everything went blank.

-

When he woke up, it was to the sound of his mother's voice. He was back in her arms, feeling as safe as he ever had, but the words she was saying stabbed him in his heart.

"You have to take him in, Albus," Lily breathed softly. There was a hitch in her voice and that told Harry that she was in worse pain than what she was in before. "He doesn't have anyone. James and I-we won't be there for him and Sirius was killed as well…"

"Of course I'll take him in, Lily," Albus responded. Harry could hear that the other wizard was close-he must have been kneeling.

Harry panicked and sat up when he heard a third voice. "Lupin's fine. He received a blast to the chest, but I got him to safety." It was the same man who had told him to be quiet earlier. The Death Eater.

"No!" Harry instantly freaked out. "No! He's a Death Eater! I saw his tattoo! He's-he's…"

Lily's arms tightened around Harry. "It's okay, sweetie," she cooed softly. "Severus is on our side. He's a spy for Professor Dumbledore." She coughed weakly into her hand and Harry saw blood on it when she pulled it away.

"Mother?"

With her clean hand, she ran her fingers through his messy hair. "I love you, Harry. I always will. You remember that, alright? You remember that your father and I adore you above everything else."

Tears filled Harry's eyes again. "I know you do. I love you, too." He curled up in her lap again and held her as tightly as his weak arms could manage. He was still a little dizzy from the blows to the head-he was sure he wouldn't be able to stand up. And that had him remembering that Voldemort had been there. "Where'd _he_ go?" His green eyes turned up at Albus. "Did you kill him?" He sounded so hopeful that Albus felt the energy drain from him.

"I'm sorry to say that he got away, Harry," Albus informed him. "When he saw the Aurors coming, he Apparated away."

Instantly, Harry's entire body froze. The man that had killed his father had gotten away. "And-and the blonde man that got Mum?"

Albus gave Lily a questioning look. "What does he mean by that?"

"It was Lucius who cast the curse on me," Lily admitted.

"You saw his face?" Severus questioned immediately. That was the testimony they needed.

"No. He had his mask on. But his hair had come loose and his hood was down. Also, Voldemort (she ignored Severus' shudder) used his name." She could see that Severus was shaking slightly. "Severus, do you have a jar or a vial with you? You'll have to take the memory for his trial."

"There's no need for that; Veritaserum will work just fine…"

"I have told you of the curse. I can feel the barb's effect already. I don't have much longer."

The words startled Harry. "What? No…"

"Oh Harry," she breathed and cuddled him as close as she possibly could. "You have to promise me that you'll be good for Professor Dumbledore and your Uncle Severus, okay?" One glance up at Severus told her that he didn't approve of the nickname at all.

"But you'll be here with me."

"No, I won't, sweetie. I lost the battle. You have to be good for them. I'll be watching you from heaven and if I see that you're being naughty, you'll be in big trouble, okay? They can ground you if they have to." She was cupping her face with her hands now that she wiped her blood on her robes. His face was horribly sticky from Voldemort's blood, but she still continued to hold him. "Okay? I want you to behave no matter what. They'll help you grow strong. You'll be safe with them, too, Harry. Professor Dumbledore will teach you everything you need to know."

"Lily," Severus objected softly, "we'll get you to Saint Mungo's and they'll sort it all out."

Albus sighed heavily. "You should know better than to think Lucius would use a reversible spell…"

"No…"

"Severus, _please_," Lily begged weakly. "I can feel it ripping me apart. You'll help Albus with Harry?"

The potions master scowled as he looked down, avoiding both pairs of startling green eyes.

"Severus will help me," Albus promised for him. "If not, he won't be allowed near Hogwarts."

That had the other man spluttering. "Albus, you can't force the life of this boy on me that way." Surprisingly, Severus looked at Harry for a long moment before he let out a deep breath. "Yes, Lily, I'll care for him."

"Good," Lily sighed and embraced Harry tighter to her body. "Then you can begin by taking Harry away from me." Both brunette males felt their jaws drop. "I can't have him here when it happens."

"Lily…"

"Mum…"

"Please take him away, Severus. I couldn't stand it if he sees it. He's already seen James and Sirius die. There's no need to put him through any more."

"Mum," Harry cried as he objected, "I don't want to leave you. I don't want you to leave me. I'm staying here, with you. I have to…"

"No, Harry, you have to go with Uncle Severus. He has to take you to where it's safe," Lily explained to her son. "Please. I won't be in peace if I know you saw this."

"But-but…"

"I love you, Harry."

"I love you too…that's why I don't want to go." Large tears rolled down his red cheeks as he sobbed.

"Take Harry and go, Severus," Albus ordered swiftly. "Put him to sleep if you have to. He cannot see this."

With a groan, Severus finally acquiesced. Boldly, he leant forward and kissed Lily on her forehead before he grabbed Harry around his chest and lifted him from his mother's arms. The child instantly fought back, kicking and screaming, but Severus just held him tighter and carried him away from the scene. The last thing he wanted was to leave Lily-the love of his life-behind when he hoped a cure could be found, but when that witch made up her mind, there was nothing stopping her. Unfortunately, the same went for Lucius Malfoy.

That thought took his breath away. He hadn't gotten the memory from her. Hopefully, Albus would get to it in due time. He was too busy with Harry's cries as he struggled with the six-year-old. Oddly enough, Harry fought back with a lot of strength. As he battled to get back to his mother, objects started to whirl around Severus. He had to duck to avoid the several stones, bricks and branches that flew at him. Deciding against dodging for his life, he sat Harry down. Before Harry could take more than two steps back towards Lily, Severus hit him in the back with a sleeping spell. "Bloody child," he grumbled and picked him up under his knees and his shoulders.

Inside, though, he couldn't believe what had just happened. He had been there for the battle. It was he who had taken Remus out of the fight when he was struck in the chest. It was he who had incapacitated Bellatrix when she fought against Lily and it was he who came to Albus' aid. However, he had also been there to see Sirius be struck down and he had also seen James lose his fight to the Dark Lord. Heaven help him, he wasn't happy that either had happened, but he also wasn't about to cry for either of them. He wasn't going to cry that Harry had been orphaned in the one day.

No, but he was going to mourn Lily like no other. He was going to ache inside and feel like all the good things in the world was gone.

Just as he thought these things, he realised that the boy in his arms were the last thing she cared about in the world. He had nothing else to remind him of her except for the most powerful boy he had ever seen. Harry Potter had sent those rocks and whatnot at him without a wand or words. He was strong and he was all that Lily cared about. And here, in his arms, was the last creature on the planet that had her eyes. Heaven knows, when Harry had his own children, he could very well pass them on to the spawn, but for now, Harry was the only being that'll look up at him with the eyes that had captured Severus so long ago.

It was perhaps with that thought that Severus decided to take care of Harry.

-

**Chapter One**

-

Those same green eyes sparkled at him while casting a curse at him. Severus moved to sidestep the blast of yellow that came from Harry's being, but stopped himself and went to the right instead. It seemed to be a good idea since Harry wordlessly followed it up with a second curse with little more than a wave of his hand. It was aimed straight for Severus' left side. The fact that he dodged it had Harry grinning.

"You're reading me," he accused. The eight-year-old loved it when Severus gave him a challenge in his training. After two years of nothing but the training, he got a little bored with the repetitious movements. Harry was learning how to defend himself and how to attack and was frequently used on the battleground when he was needed. The young boy had become the secret weapon of the Order of the Phoenix. He'd often hide under his Invisibility Cloak and attack people wordlessly. They never had a clue that he had been there thanks to his silence. Ever since Albus found out about Harry's talents, he used them. And Harry didn't have a problem with it. If it meant he got closer to defeating the Dark Lord, then he was all for it. He also couldn't wait to get his hands on that blonde man.

"You know very well that I can't read your mind," Severus argued, sending his own spell at Harry. The child deflected it with a simple flick of his hand. "Professor Dumbledore taught you Legilimency. You can block me better than he can."

"Grandfather Albus was very helpful," Harry grinned, shielding his body from the curses Severus was sending at him. The older wizard required both his wands and the wands to perform the same spells Harry had no trouble with. It had always been like that. Harry had never actually purchased a wand. Instead, he used Severus' when he needed to figure out a particularly difficult spell. A day working on it like that was all that it took for him to master the spell. He wouldn't need a wand or to speak the curse at all to cast it afterwards.

After a nasty spell rebounded off his shield and destroyed a part of the stone wall, Harry lowered his defences and attacked Severus with the same curse. Blue flames shot out at the professor and hit him square in his chest.

"Oh crap!" Harry breathed and rushed to his uncle's side. Quick healing charms were running through his mind, being cast in quick succession of each other, until both the fire and Severus' chest and clothes were completely fixed. There was no damage. When he pulled away, his eyes found Severus' glaring pair. Without warning, Harry received a sharp smack in the back of the head. "What was that for? I healed you…"

"Where did you hear such language?" Severus asked, sitting up from where he had been thrown back. Harry bashfully lowered his eyes to the floor and rubbed the back of his head. He was kneeling by Severus' side and stayed there after Severus had stood.

"I heard it from some of the students."

"Could you be any more stupid? Firstly, you know Professor Dumbledore and I don't allow those words-do you have any idea what Professor McGonagall would do to you if she heard you speaking them? She'd beat you with Madame Hooch's broomstick before you could make a shield for yourself. Secondly, what were you doing around the students? You're not allowed near them for _very_ important reasons. If the Dark Lord found out that you were here for certain, there'd be hell to pay."

"I've never spoken to them before…I just get so bored. I'd like to meet someone my own age, you know? You can't be around me all the time because you have to teach and all the other professors are scared of me. I'm worried Hagrid will feed me to one of his pets and Grandfather Albus is always busy. What else am I supposed to do with my time? I sometimes go to the library under my Cloak and read. I swear, that's all that I've ever done. I've never even been to a Quidditch match."

Severus sighed once the boy was finished. "It'll all be alright when we finally defeat the Dark Lord, okay?"

"Can't I have _one_ friend?"

"All the students are a little old for you, Harry. I'll talk to Professor Dumbledore about it in three years when kids your age show up here, okay?"

That seemed to perk Harry up a little. "I just have to wait three years?"

"And defeat the Dark Lord."

"I'll kill him," Harry promised. "I'll kill him for killing my dad and for having that man kill my mum and for stopping me from having friends."

Severus nodded his head at the boy's affirmation and looked up. The moment he did, a clock appeared on the wall. "I have to go to class now. I'd like you to work on that spell some more, okay?"

"Yes Uncle Severus."

The moment Severus was out of the room, Harry turned and started to attack the dummies that had appeared out of thin air. All he had to look forward to in life was the chance to have real friends.

-

Harry listened intently. He always did when he received his new orders. "Severus has warned us about an attack on the Aurors," Albus informed him and the rest of the Order of the Phoenix. They all sat around in Albus' office, listening to the plan of attack.

It was always a little awkward for Harry. He didn't know everyone in the Order. He was normally restricted to the names of the professors. Similarly, the members he didn't know didn't know who he was. He was given the code name 'Cloak' since it was his job to hide under the Invisibility Cloak and assist. No one knew that he was actually Harry Potter. All they knew was that he was overly powerful. That was the entire explanation they received.

He could see that they would eye him. Specifically, there was a plump, red-headed woman that would stare at him when she thought he couldn't see her. Whenever Albus gave him certain instructions, she would often argue it, claiming he was nothing more than a child-that she would never ask anything like that of her own older children. Naturally, Severus defended Albus' plan, having taught Harry himself, but he often received angry glances.

Harry had never spoken at any of these meetings, really. Every now and then, he'd confirm that he'd do his task, but that was it. The meetings were mainly for the adults to discuss things and he was nowhere near the adult realm. He had several years before that could happen. Also, he doubted his opinion would mean much. He was, after all, only an eight-year-old and it wasn't his job to speak up. He was to do what Grandfather Albus told him.

"They'll be attacking the training camp," Albus continued. "We'll go there as well to back them up. Also, Severus has told me that Nagini will be a large part of this operation."

That piqued Harry's attention. For too long now he'd been waiting to get that snake. It was the last thing that stood between him and the death of the Dark Lord. Over the past two years, he and Albus had managed to work their way through five of the six known Horcruxes and Nagini was the last piece. All Harry had to do was kill it with Gryffindor's Sword, and then it'll all be over. He'd be able to kill Voldemort.

"As we've seen before, this snake it overly dangerous. If you spot her, capture her from a distance and fire red sparks into the sky. That way Cloak can finish off the job."

Tersely, Harry felt all eyes on him. It happened at least three times every meeting.

"Albus, if it's so dangerous, why leave it up to him?" the woman asked. "He's just a child. What if it strikes him?"

"Molly, I understand that you're worried about him, but have you ever seen a time where he's gotten injured? He's been personally trained by Severus and myself over the past two years and he's become quite strong."

Since Severus wasn't there to support Albus this time, Harry spoke up. "Uncle Severus can't even curse me anymore. I'm too fast for him," he explained. "I'll be fine. The snake won't even know that I'm there. That's my speciality."

The woman-Molly-didn't seem pleased by the answer. "I'm just worried about him, Albus. He's so small. My youngest son is his age…" She stopped when she saw the look on Harry's face. Just knowing that that woman had a child his age had his entire body glowing. He had a massive smile on his face as his large eyes looked at her.

"Can I meet him?" he asked, even though he knew Albus wouldn't be happy with the question. "Please? I've never met someone my age before. I don't have any friends…I know Uncle Severus said he'd ask Grandfather Albus when I'm eleven, but that's so _far away_…I just really want someone to talk to."

Molly looked shocked, as did her husband beside her. "You don't have any friends?"

"Grandfather Albus is keeping me safe, but I really want a friend. It gets really boring when Uncle Severus is the only person I'm allowed to talk to. Sometimes, Uncle Moony comes to play with me, but I don't have…"

"That's enough, Cloak," Albus intervened. Harry instantly lowered his head and kept his mouth shut, but the damage had been done.

"You're stopping him from having a childhood, Albus," Molly spoke up angrily. "He might be your secret weapon, but he should be allowed to have friends-where are his parents, anyway? They deserve more than a few nights in Azkaban if they're allowing their son to be such a part in this war."

"His parents died two years ago."

An Auror to the right of the room raised a question. "Isn't _Moony_ codename for Remus Lupin, the werewolf liaison?"

And that had people gasping.

"Dear Merlin, no, Albus," Molly breathed. "That isn't the Potter boy, is it? Everyone knows how close Remus Lupin and James Potter were."

Again, the room lit up with gasps and now whispers.

"He does look a lot like James," someone announced.

"And the timing is just right," claimed another.

"He's even got Lily's eyes…"

"It wasn't a secret that Snape and Lily were close-that's why he'd call him _uncle_."

Albus found he repeated himself. "That's enough, people. Whoever Cloak is has no importance in this meeting. We need to keep that in mind. Defeating Voldemort is important."

"Did he even get a say in the matter?" Molly continued. "Honestly, Albus, did he get a choice? Did you see this as the perfect opportunity to raise your own little weapon, or does he want to fight?"

"I'll do everything I can to stop Voldemort," Harry interrupted. "I want to fight back after everything he's done to me. He took my parents away from me. That's why I'm getting so strong. No one else needs to lose their loved ones anymore. If I can kill him, I can stop him from hurting anyone else."

"I assure you that I have never done anything to Cloak without his consent. He's wanted to help since I took him in," Albus explained softly.

"He's but a child, Albus," the red-haired husband argued. "How can you expect him to consent to something he doesn't understand? It's the same as statutory rape…"

"_Arthur_, please understand that he isn't being abused and that he understands perfectly. I've never put him in any danger. He's safe for as long as the enemy doesn't know of his existence. As far as Voldemort and the Death eaters know, Cloak doesn't even exist. They've never seen or heard of him…"

"I'm completely fine with it," Harry claimed from his seat. "As soon as Voldemort's killed, I'll get to be a normal kid…"

"Most normal children haven't taken a life before," one of the members pointed out.

When Harry's mouth abruptly shut with a click, Molly stood with outrage. "You've ordered him to _kill_, Albus? How on Earth could you order an eight-year-old to kill?"

There was a wide-spread response of shock from the Order.

"Grandfather Albus has never ordered me to do anything I haven't wanted to do before," Harry intervened quickly. "I've only ever killed threats to the Order and to the Muggles. I have no problem with it…"

"No, that's not right." She turned abruptly on Albus. "What did you do? Seal away his conscience?"

"I've never killed anyone who doesn't deserve it. The Death Eaters have taken away so much from innocent people. It's not right that they should be allowed to live. If Grandfather Albus tells me to do it, it'll be fine."

"Albus!"

"The boy has saved countless lives, Molly," Albus breathed. "He has been on the battlefield for years now and knows what to do. You're neglecting the fact that he's absolutely fine with his position here in the war. Now, I know it seems heartless and wrong, but when the battle's finally over, Cloak will be able to live the life he was supposed to have."

"I don't mind at all," Harry supported, but his eyes turned to Albus. "Though, I wouldn't mind having a friend…"

He stopped abruptly when he saw Albus shake his head slightly. No one else in the room would have caught it. From that point on, he didn't ask about it again.

-

It was a routine for Harry. He'd Apparate with the rest of the Order to the location and would stay under his Cloak until the target was spotted. They were certain Voldemort didn't know that the majority of his Horcruxes had been destroyed, so they weren't surprised that he'd send his giant snake out onto the battlefield. However, Harry was certain the wizard would be there the moment something happened to it. Harry had heard somewhere that Voldemort had some sort of connection with Nagini, and therefore was expecting the Dark Lord to appear when Nagini's life was finally ended. He had everything he needed to deal with Voldemort. He had Gryffindor's Sword with him, sheathed and attached to his hip (the damn thing was nearly as tall as he was, actually) and that would be enough to destroy the Horcrux within Nagini.

And he very nearly couldn't wait for that to happen. The idea of killing Voldemort made him so happy inside. It was the only thing that had made him happy for the past two years. Yes, he was content when he finally became stronger than Uncle Severus, but getting rid of the monster that had taken so much away from him was the only dream that he had.

So he watched from under his Cloak as the Death Eaters went down. One by one, they were struck and tied up the way they always had been since the Order had started. It wasn't as hard as Harry had expected. Added with the Aurors, the Order nearly doubled the Death Eaters in numbers.

But then he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Something streaked past his right side. And it boiled his blood.

As quickly as Harry had ever moved, he turned to his right and followed the platinum blonde he had seen. He dodged and weaved around the area, heading straight for the man that was running away. All the while, he ignored everything else around him. His short legs struggled to keep up with the man's longer strides, but when he was in range, something happened. He Apparated away.

"No!"

Harry didn't have much time to mull over the sudden disappearance of his mother's murderer. Instead, he looked up sharply when red sparks bloomed overhead not too far away. Moments after, the dark sky was filled by that luminous green skull. Paling, Harry rushed over to where he had been signalled.

The first thing he noticed was the dead body under the skull. At first he felt relief that it was neither Remus nor Severus, but as he turned away, he recognised the mop of red hair. The woman he knew only as 'Molly' was face first down on the ground. Whoever had caught her was nowhere to be seen. He felt his stomach drop. The least he could do was get revenge.

That thought was quickly removed from his mind when he saw the dreaded snake slithering around. He had read everything he could get his hands on about snakes. Harry knew that Nagini would be able to smell him. She'd know his exact location even though he was hidden.

A hiss came from her throat before she lunged quickly. He stepped away much faster than he knew the snake would have expected. The second time she threw herself at him, she caught the Cloak in her jaw. It was ripped from him as he jumped back.

Harry eyed the reptile with calculating eyes. It was easy to tell that the snake wasn't a normal creature. She was far too intelligent to be your average snake, he realised. She was just as calculative as any other warrior. The thought of her being an Animagus crossed his mind. Albus had told him all about those things. However, certainly a grown human would know they'd stand a better change using magic against a small eight-year-old. He was sure that an Animagus would fight him human-to-human if that were the case. He shook his head thoughtfully. Nagini wasn't a human deep inside.

They stood off against each other, moving only slightly. During this battle, Harry had never been so glad for the absence of other people. If anyone else had been there, he would have gotten distracted. The need to protect them would be his undoing. Severus had told him that several times before. So, with that in mind, Harry thought to incapacitate the snake before someone stumbled in on them.

And it was so easy. The next time she lunged, he cast a quick stunning spell that sent her to the ground without a single word having fallen from his lips. She couldn't move and was clearly distressed about it if the hissing Harry heard was any indication. Approaching Nagini from the side (he didn't want to risk that his spell wasn't strong enough for her), Harry drew the sword and sliced her head from her body with a single swipe.

The destruction of a Horcrux always warmed Harry up, but this time, it was different. It was the last one. There were no more left. And that meant that the next step was the defeat of Voldemort.

Harry had known about the prophecy for years. It was one of the first things Albus had informed him of when he was taken in. He knew he had to be the one to kill Voldemort. And he saw nothing wrong with that. It'd make him all too happy to go through with it.

His assumption had been right. Nagini hadn't been dead for more than a minute when Voldemort showed up on the battlefield. Harry watched the enraged man approach. He didn't move from his spot, not until Voldemort raised his wand up to Harry with a dangerous hex on his lipless mouth. With a simple sidestep, the spell fizzled past Harry harmlessly. Snarling, Voldemort continued his tirade, sending blast after blast at Harry, who dodged each and every one.

Whatever was raging inside Voldemort ceased abruptly, causing him to cock his head to one side to evaluate Harry.

"Well, well," he smirked, watching as Harry's feet shuffled a little. He wasn't staying still, expecting another curse to come hurtling towards him. "How you've grown, Harry."

Harry felt the sneer appear on his own face as the monster before him spoke politely to him as if he was a family friend.

"I take it Dumbledore has raised you to be a strong fighter-that's the only way how you could have defeated my Nagini." The Dark Lord let out a deep breath. "You know about my Horcruxes."

"And I've destroyed all of them," Harry responded scathingly. He motioned with his hand, thrusting it forward. He knew this spell quite well and was certain Voldemort would easily shirk it off, but he needed to assess the wizard. Long green vines wrapped around Voldemort's body, binding him tightly so that he couldn't move his arm. Before Harry could disarm him, Voldemort flicked his wand and the vines disintegrated as if acid had been poured onto them.

Voldemort seemed entertained. "You have grown, haven't you? Wandless _and_ wordless magic? I'm surprised. I never thought I'd see such a talent in such a young child. Dumbledore has taught you well." He aimed his own binding spell at Harry, and his smug smirk only increased when it was deflected without a single move of his hand. "He really has turned you into his little pawn."

The words went over Harry's head. He instead continued his attack, hurtling curses at Voldemort with slight flicks of his wrist. In what would normally be considered a stupid idea, he held Voldemort's eye contact and dropped his mental guards. The Dark Lord knew his every move and curse, forcing them to be equal in the battle. Each attack was guarded, countered, until it looked as if Voldemort had the upper hand. Where Harry's greatest defence was his use of wordless magic, Voldemort's was knowing what the next curse was going to be. What Harry was doing allowed Voldemort have the upper hand, but this was a play he had thought about for many long days.

Voldemort stepped closer and closer to Harry with every deflected curse and as Harry witnessed this, he felt fear for the older wizard for the first time since Albus had taken him in. He couldn't help but allow his own feet to take him backwards away from the strong force that was getting closer and closer. No matter how much he tried to persuade his feet to stop, the baby steps still happened.

Finally, he got the strength to hold his ground and made his move.

Harry had been trying for months with Severus to trick him with his mind. While thinking of a spell, he wordlessly cast a second one, tricking the Potions Master into believing he was using the first curse. With a flutter of joy, Harry sent the message that his next attack would be another binding spell, which Voldemort was fully prepared for. Instead, he attacked with the _Sectumsempra_-a curse taught to him by Severus.

He watched as Voldemort's eyes widened exponentially as the long thin slices appeared on his skin, cutting deep into his chest. Caught off guard and feeling the pain of the gashes, Voldemort stumbled to his knees, where Harry proceeded to bind the man with thick ropes and steal away his wand.

"Harry…" Voldemort breathed as Harry looked at him. On his knees the way he was, Voldemort and the eight-year-old were capable of looking at each other eye to eye.

"You've taught me what it's like to be alone," Harry claimed softly. "You've taken everything away from me."

Those red eyes looked deep inside him. Harry didn't care that his guards weren't up and that Voldemort could see everything there.

"I hope Albus discovers the nightmare he's created before it's too late. Not even I'm that cruel."

Harry had had enough. He summoned the sword from behind him and ended Voldemort's life exactly the same way he ended Nagini's. With a single swipe of Harry's arm, the war was over.

Green eyes watched as the head of his greatest enemy rolled off the neck it used to be connected to. His eyes picked up each and every drop of blood when it gushed out of the veins in Voldemort's neck. Quickly after, the dead body toppled to Harry's right, where it stayed.

He could still hear the fighting around him. No one knew yet. They were all oblivious to the fact that the war was over. He had destroyed Voldemort once and for all. There was nothing else for him to do.

Logically, he knew time was passing, but it didn't feel like it was. The past two years of his life had been about killing Voldemort and avenging his family. However, he couldn't help but feel empty now that he had finally succeeded.

Harry flinched and jumped away when he felt the hand lower onto his head. When he looked up, he realised that he had the Sword of Gryffindor pointed straight at Remus' belly and that he had intended to cut the werewolf open at the slightest provocation. Immediately, he lowered the blade and watched as Remus' eyes took in the scene before him.

"Remus," he spoke, finding his voice easily. He recognised that Remus' face showed shock more than pride. "Are you alright?"

"Are you?" Remus replied softly.

"I finally did it. He's gone. I-can I have friends now?"

The question alone had Remus' face paling. He reached down and grabbed for Harry's left hand. And then, with the strength he had to pull from the wolf inside, he lead the boy away from the battleground.

-

The first thing Remus did when he got Harry back to Hogwarts was feed him, bathe him and put him to bed. Harry was confused as to why the werewolf insisted on staying by his bedside until he fell asleep, but the older wizard sat with him until his breathing had evened out.

When Severus showed up at the doorway, Remus knew he was in trouble, but it was worth it.

"Albus wants to see you," Severus said quietly as Remus joined him by the door. Despite talking to Remus, he was watching Harry sleep. For a moment, Remus saw his dark eyes stray to the bloodied sword to the left of Harry's headboard (he had insisted on it be there with him during the night so that when he woke up, he knew it wasn't a dream), before they returned to Harry's sleeping form. "How is he?"

"Too good." It came out in a heavy sigh, reflecting just how Remus was feeling. "I'm worried about him. No one can just kill someone like that and not feel anything for it."

"I know."

Over the years, Remus and Severus had built a friendship that was mainly supported by their fatherly love for Harry. It was the only subject they could agree on and it was the only reason why they put their differences aside.

"It's not as if he's never killed before, but Voldemort was the ultimate enemy," Remus continued. "You'd think he'd be a little more emotional over it."

"Has he said anything?"

"He asked me why I wasn't proud of him when I had him eat his dinner. I told him I couldn't be any prouder. He's done everything anyone's ever asked of him."

"That's it?"

Remus was used to Severus' interrogation into Harry's mental state. The Potions Master and Harry would spend days at a time working on Harry's Occlumency skills and therefore knew much about where Harry was in his mind.

"He also asked if he was allowed to have friends now and who'd take care of Molly Weasley's children." It was then that the thought of the casualties struck Remus. "Severus…did anyone else…?"

"We lost Molly, Shacklebolt and Moody."

Remus shook his head. "They were the three most cautious in the Order. How is Arthur taking it?"

Leaning into the frame, Severus shrugged his shoulders. "He's doing as well as could be expected. Merlin only knows how he'll be able to raise the children and earn enough to support them."

"I guess Albus will help them out."

"Speaking of which," Severus started, finally dragging his eyes over to Remus' face, "you should get up to his office."

That brought a wry smile to Remus' face. "Ah yes, the act of him ripping me a new one will be an experience to forever remember." Severus merely clapped him on the shoulder as Remus passed him. "Do you still have that scotch…?"

"If you're capable of sitting down after the thrashing you're about to receive, you can have as much of the bottle as you want."

-

The gargoyle didn't even require the password to let him up. The moment Remus got close to the damned thing, it opened up and allowed him in. Remus couldn't help but feel as if the gargoyle's face had changed slightly to reflect the anger Albus would be feeling. It was the greatest taboo to take Harry away from a battle without Albus' permission. It was especially dreadful when there were still many enemies to defeat.

He barely knocked once on the door to the headmaster's office when it swung open, lead by Albus' wand.

Remus hadn't ever seen Albus get overly mad and the only times the aged wizard showed forms of anger were when Harry was treated differently to how he deemed fit. Unfortunately, Remus had done just that. He had gone against Albus' wishes.

"Why don't you take a seat, Remus?" Albus suggested, motioning towards one of the armchairs in his office. He, himself, sat straight with his hands folded on top of the desk before him.

"Look, I know…"

"Sit, Remus."

Sighing again, Remus did as he was told. He really didn't need to be on Albus' bad side. It was never recommended.

"Now, I've been told that it was you who took Harry out of the battle before it was over."

Remus confirmed this. "He had finished his duty. Voldemort's head was clear off his body. Harry wasn't needed anymore."

"Do you have any idea how many Death Eaters escaped? The moment they found out their lord was dead, they Disapparated away. We caught perhaps a third of them. Only a third, Remus…"

"Do you really think Harry could have made that much of a difference? He isn't trained to capture, Albus. You've made sure that he kills what he sees as an enemy."

"How do you think he'll feel when he finds out Lucius got away because you took Harry away too early?"

The younger wizard resisted rolling his eyes. "Lucius Malfoy was probably gone long before Voldemort was killed. They were outnumbered and taken by surprise." Albus didn't respond to that. "I took Harry away from it all because he doesn't need to be subjected to anymore violence. He did what we asked of him."

"We didn't ask him to leave his comrades behind."

"He's eight, Albus." Remus' voice had suddenly gotten louder, but not to the point of shouting. "How can you ask an eight-year-old to destroy your every enemy? You can't. He isn't your weapon. He's a child. Let him be one."

Albus looked at him from over his glasses. "Unfortunately, because you took him away too early, he isn't finished yet."

"He just wants to be a child."

"And because he wasn't able to capture any other Death Eaters, we still have several on the loose. Who knows what they'll get up to?"

Remus shook his head and stood angrily. "This isn't what Lily meant when she asked you to take care of him."

And with that, he left.

-

Severus opened his door when he heard the knock on it. "Still capable of sitting?" he asked of Remus as the werewolf let himself in.

"Still got that scotch?"

-

**So…this is kind of just the beginning. It's just a test to see how well this one will go, I guess. I don't really have much motivation to write this one though, so it might just float around for a bit…**

**Feedback please??**


	2. Chapter Two

**Okay, so this is obviously my pet-project and not my main fic at the moment. It'll probably take even longer for the next chapter to come out, honestly. Sorry.**

**Please enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Do not own.**

**Chapter Two**

He loved to fly. Ever since Remus taught him how to use a broom, Harry had fallen in love with the sky, the air and the wind. It had been a gift for his eighth birthday but it took him several months afterwards for him to get the time to learn. Afterwards, though, it had become one of his greatest weapons. Combined with his Invisibility Cloak, he could make some of the swiftest exits possible.

More often than not, he travelled by broom at night. Harry didn't have many chances to do what he wanted to, but at night, when there were no students to see him and he had finished with his latest project, he loved to fly around England.

The populated areas called to him. All he wanted to do was land and watch people and meet children his age, but he knew that his Grandfather Albus would hate him for that, so he never went through with it. Instead, he would often fly over the country land and see what he could of the few houses on the large properties. He madly adored this one house, where he often saw a redheaded family eating their dinner on a bench in their backyard. There were so many children that they could have filled their own Quidditch team. It made Harry tingle with interest to know that a mother and a father could have so many children together.

However, this one specific night, he was coming back from killing a rogue Death Eater who had tortured many Muggles, when he flew over a mansion he had often overlooked several times. This night, he spotted a tiny white dot on the balcony. It made his heart leap to see someone-someone his age-alone. Under the protection of his Invisibility Cloak, Harry circled above the balcony, going down as far as he could without risking being seen.

With a smile on his face (and rather large butterflies in his stomach), he came to the realisation that the child was a boy. He was as pale as the snow Harry saw yearly (except for two patches of pink on the tips of his cheekbones), and his hair was the same shade as the man he was hunting, but his eyes caught him. They were grey-almost silver-and held the same sort of intelligence Harry had only seen in Uncle Severus' eyes. It almost looked as if he knew he was there, but surely that was impossible.

Even though he was under the Cloak, Harry tried to make eye contact with the boy, but was denied it. Every time Harry thought he was close to bringing the boy's eyes to his own, he would quickly change where he was looking. Before long, Harry was certain the other boy knew that someone was trying to read his mind. And that just made him even more excited. It was thrilling to know that there was another person his age with skills like his.

"Who's there?" the boy asked suddenly. "I don't appreciate ghosts and I won't put up with a stalker. How are you hiding yourself?"

Harry edged the broom backwards when he saw the blonde reaching out with his hand to grab at him. The boy leant on the balcony railing as he tried to reach out further, hoping to grab at what he couldn't see.

He was on the verge of climbing over when the most glorious woman Harry had ever seen appeared through the balcony doors behind the boy. She was clearly the boy's mother. Her eyes were blue, unlike her son's, but their faces were very similar. Harry found himself fascinated by the pure shade of blonde that was the colour of her hair. And dressed in a white night gown the way she was, she looked ethereal.

"What are you doing?" she demanded of her son. "Not only should you not be out here at night, you should be in bed. It's long past your bedtime."

The boy turned around and clambered down from the railing. However, Harry's attention had turned completely. It had been years since the eight-year-old had heard the mothering tone that came from the woman's mouth. He hadn't noticed how much he had missed it, but hearing it again brought it all back to him.

"I-I couldn't sleep. I was too warm."

It was then that the colour on the boy's cheeks weren't natural. In fact, he appeared quite ill-feverish, actually. His brow was dotted with small beads of sweat.

"That's because you have a fever, dear." She approached him and put her hand on his forehead. "Being out here in the cold isn't going to help you at all. Come back inside."

Harry felt his heart pang when he saw the lady wrap her arm around the boy's shoulders. It was so caring and loving. She very gently steered him away from the edge of the balcony and lead him towards the large glass doors.

Her son, however, put up a fight. He turned in her arms to look back at Harry, if only to glare at the empty space there.

"What's wrong?"

"...nothing," he sighed and allowed her to bring him back inside.

Harry watched as the two entered what appeared to be the boy's bedroom and didn't leave until the curtains were pulled across the glass. He could easily still see their silhouettes moving behind, but decided that leaving soon was a better option. His Grandfather Albus wouldn't be too happy about his long night out. Generally, he had to return in a timely manner. With a sigh, he lifted up his broomstick and steered it out to the night.

* * *

When he got back, Severus was waiting for him. The older wizard stood with his arms folded over his chest and damn near hexed the boy when he finally removed the Invisibility Cloak.

"Straight to bed with you," Severus hissed and restrained himself from smacking Harry on the back of his head.

"I finished my task easily," Harry said in retaliation as he strode past Severus.

"There was no doubt that you would. Your Grandfather Albus isn't happy with you, however."

Harry smiled up at the Potions Master as a response. For the briefest of moments, Severus saw something rare. The young assassin was purely happy. He hadn't seen a grin like that on the child ever.

"Good night, Uncle Severus."

And with that, he took off towards his quarters. He didn't need to put his Cloak back on. Every student was tucked away in his or her own beds and was likely sleeping already. Harry was often forced to stay out much longer than the older students stayed awake.

Severus observed Harry as closely as he could. The way he walked had a greater bounce in it than it used to. Something good had happened to him. His instant thought was of Lucius. Had the boy finally found and killed him? Surely that was the only thing that would make Harry that happy. Or maybe-maybe he had found a friend somewhere in the night.

It was an unbelievable and unwanted thought, and it had Severus moving up to Albus' office in an instant. Albus was against Harry befriending anyone just yet. The distraction wasn't needed. As far as the headmaster was concerned, Harry had to first deal with everyone else's issues before he could enjoy being a child.

He knew that Harry would keep that smile on his face long after he fell asleep. What hurt him was that Albus wouldn't care for the smile.

* * *

When morning came, it was Remus who woke Harry. Albus had contacted him and had wanted the werewolf to talk it out with Harry. It was an obvious choice. Whereas Severus treated him with indifference, Remus was kind and warm to the boy. He would listen rather than berate.

"What do you do when your friend is sick?" Harry asked as he swung his legs out from under the blankets. He wore blue and white striped flannelette pyjamas. Before he turned his large eyes up to Remus, he wiped at them with the back of his hand in an act so innocent that Remus almost forgot Harry was a murderer. A yawn followed.

"Why? Is that where you were last night?" Remus returned. "Were you at the hospital?"

Harry shook his head as he slipped his glasses on. "But then again, I'm gonna get in trouble no matter where I went."

Remus smiled at him and reached out to fold the Invisibility Cloak rather than leaving it where Harry had thrown it on the floor. He placed it on the desk, which was on the opposite side of the room and looked down at the drawings Harry had left there. None of them were overly good-not even for a child his age-but they were what Severus sometimes used to gauge how Harry was feeling on the days where the boy blocked him from his mind. Harry loved to draw, despite his lack of skill, and it was one of the few things Severus encouraged.

"Do you think I'll be able to get proper lessons when all the Death Eaters are dead?" Harry questioned from behind Remus as he removed clothes from his wardrobe for the day. He had very few robes. Whenever he was out in public, he was to wear Muggle clothing just so others wouldn't recognise him. He also found it easier to train in jeans or sweat pants rather than the heavy wizarding robes.

"We're out to capture them, Harry, not kill them." Remus lifted one of the drawings to look at it closer. He wasn't as good as Severus when it came to understanding the psyche, let alone one based on scribbles, but he knew what that patch of yellow meant. At first, Harry had thrown one hell of a hissy fit when he realised none of his Muggle crayons could match the colour of the platinum haired man. However, after Severus gave him a stern warning, he accepted that the yellow was good enough and that throwing tantrums weren't working with these makeshift parents, just as they didn't with his real ones.

"Well, I killed more than I captured last night." Once Harry threw his clothes onto his bed, he turned and headed towards his adjoined bathroom. "I'm guessing Grandfather Albus wants me to go up and see him soon?"

"He wants to know where you went."

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I went flying. It was a nice night. It was completely danger-free. None of the Death Eaters could find me. I've been trained to be invisible."

"And a cloak to do it all for you helps," Remus taunted and lowered the picture back down to the desk. "Is there anything you want to talk about?"

Harry nodded his head after a moment. "What do you do when your friend is sick?"

"Why?"

"I just wanna know, just in case. You never know…I could have friends any time now."

Remus sighed and turned to face his best friend's son. "Some people give their friends flowers, depending on how sick they are. It's a comforting gesture. Otherwise, they might just help around the house or with their school work. If they're sick enough to be out of class, you might just take extra notes for them."

That made Harry's face light up in a way that had Remus happy. It was so good to see him reacting with emotions.

"Thank you," Harry said and opened up his bathroom door. "I'll be up to see Grandfather Albus after my shower. Shouldn't you be teaching?"

Remus quickly cast a Tempus charm and sighed heavily when he realised he had a few minutes left before the first class started. As the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, he had students from all ages and had a lot on his plate. It would have been a lot easier to be the professor of a less popular and spread subject, like Divination. Unfortunately, it was the only thing he could really teach the students and it was the only way he could stay close to Harry without drawing any unwanted attention.

With a quick 'goodbye', they parted their ways.

* * *

Grandfather Albus was not impressed, Harry soon realised. The look in his eye showed Harry exactly what he was thinking and how annoyed he was at the younger wizard for spending the entire night out instead of returning when he was meant to.

"All I did was fly around," Harry sighed heavily as he sat in his chair. More often than not, that chair was his. Sure, others sat in the same chair, but spent a lot more time there. This was where he got his disappointed lectures and orders from the headmaster. "It's not as if I went to another Death Eater's home and tried anything."

Albus looked at him critically. "You say that, but you've blocked me from reading the truth, Harry. You don't trust me…"

"I trust you with my life, obviously. If you feel that you have to read it for yourself from my mind, then you're the one who does not trust anyone." Harry was watching closely and saw a flicker of emotion that most people would miss. He knew what the physical equivalent of that was-a slap to the face.

"I trust you as well. I just worry about you." He was so guarded that Harry had no choice but to take that at face value. That was always the case with Albus. Despite having defeated Voldemort with those very skills, Harry was often trumped by Albus' abilities.

"Then why send me out in the first place? I'm safe enough to fight against armies of fully-grown wizards, but I'm not safe enough to make my way back under an Invisibility Cloak? That makes no sense…"

"I worry because you came back much later than usual, Harry. We have no way of knowing if you've gotten hurt or lost."

"I'm not going to get lost and they can't hurt me. I killed their leader, Grandfather. It's okay."

Albus sighed and propped his elbows up on the desk. "I'm just concerned."

That got a shrug out of Harry. "I'll be fine." Abruptly, he changed subjects. "So, I dealt with the Carrows last night. Both are dead. There were a few others there. I managed to capture three, but there were four who fought against me a lot. They're dead as well. One was called Crouch, I think. There was another called Travers." He stood up from the chair. "Can I go now? A Death Eater tried this wicked spell on me last night and I wanna try it out."

For a slight moment, the right corner of Albus' lips rose minutely, which was caught by Harry's ever observant eyes. He took that as permission to go.

* * *

Professor Sprout wasn't a fighter. She wasn't trained up to have lightning fast reactions and she certainly wasn't one to expect bodiless voices to come out of nowhere. So when she heard Harry's young voice just as she let the third year Hufflepuffs and Slytherins out of Greenhouse Two, she jumped. Harry was thankful that she was one of the few professors who didn't instantly draw their wand when they were surprised. He imagined there'd be a horrible boil somewhere on his body if she was. Either that or his eye would have been taken out purely because of how close they were.

"Sorry," Harry apologised instantly, watching as she turned around to face him. She knew he'd never take his Cloak off during school hours-not when there were students so close by. It wasn't a large secret that he'd love to befriend them, but he knew the rules and he obeyed them mostly.

"It's okay, dear," she breathed and closed the door, shutting out the noise from the outside. "What would you like?"

"I was wondering what type of flowers you give to a sick friend."

Several of the professors and Order members were used to talking to someone who never appeared to be there. Harry often dropped by just for the sake of it. He needed someone to talk to and they all complied. Albus had suggested this, since it was likely Harry would turn the students for communication. That wasn't the safest of ideas.

However, this question was a little different. Harry asked about the children a lot, but he never once as Pomona about friends. Nor did he ever ask about flowers that had no value in a war.

"Why do you ask?"

"I don't know much about those things," Harry said. "Uncle Remus said that you give a sick friend flowers. I just wondering what type of flowers would you give?"

Pomona guessed roughly where Harry was from the sound of his voice and gave him as much room as she could as she walked around to where she had snapping plants in pots. They were the type Harry liked to stay away from. He might have been one of the greater fighters in the Order, but he didn't dare go near anything with teeth like that. They scared him more than they really should have. He didn't know how the students went near them.

"You'd get them pretty flowers, Harry. They'd be colourful and smell nice. You wouldn't want to give a sick friend something that'd make them unhappy."

Harry took in her every word. "Do you have any here that you'd give to your friends if they got sick?"

Pomona laughed lightly. "I wouldn't give anyone anything from these greenhouses, Harry. There's a really nice little florist in Hogsmeade that's more appropriate for that."

It wasn't as if the professor could see the motion, but Harry scrunched up his nose at the thought. Paying just wasn't fun and it was against the rules to steal. And then something popped into his mind. "Do you think the flowers in the Forbidden Forest are nice enough? I sometimes go in there for potions supplies for Uncle Severus…" He paused abruptly when she raised an eyebrow.

"Your uncle has you doing those things for him?"

"He's too busy sometimes…"

"That's too dangerous. He should know better than to do something like that. You shouldn't _ever_ be in the Forbidden Forest. The name gives it all away, dear."

"Grandfather Albus has never said anything about it being against the rules," Harry tried to reason. "In fact, he seemed to like the idea when I mentioned it to him once."

The greyed witch sighed heavily and went to pruning the plants, almost absently. Harry knew how amazing Pomona was with a pair of secateurs. He had watched her for years. It also showed him what she was thinking. She finally came to a conclusion with the secateurs were put down. "Yes, I do think that some of the flowers in the Forbidden Forest are nice enough to give as gifts, but you have to make sure that there's nothing wrong with them. You never know what properties they have or if any creature is living it them."

"Thank you very much," Harry smiled and knew that she was following the sound of his footsteps with her eyes.

* * *

Harry had never finished a mission so quickly in his life. He had never been so delicate, either. He couldn't help it. All he wanted was to get the bad guys and head back to that manor and that boy from the night before. With little more than barely-there thoughts, he had the three targeted Death Eaters wrapped up in ropes made from their own clothes. He had to admit, it was quite a funny sight. Strangely enough, he couldn't even be bothered killing them. So, with the Death Eaters as they were, he stuck his head into the closest fireplace and called upon Fudge and his Aurors.

While they had no idea who he was, they knew that there was a vigilante killing and capturing the Death Eaters for them. And that was exactly how Albus and Harry wanted it. Rather than showing them his face, he'd send through a slip of parchment that had a name and an address on it. It was enough.

With that done, Harry had plenty of time to drop by the manor and check in on his latest fascination.

And what he found didn't disappoint. Despite being clearly weaker than yesterday, the young boy was still standing out on the balcony, looking out carefully. Harry watched at how the silver eyes flickered towards the slightest of movements. It could have been nothing more than the wind rustling the leaves-it still got his attention. Instantly, Harry knew what the blonde was looking for.

It worried him a little to see that the boy was in nothing more than a bathrobe and dragon hide boots that had been thrown on simply to keep his feet warm. There was a towel hanging over his shoulders, indicating the boy had just bathed. Harry's throat tightened when he realised that being out there in the cold after a hot shower was a bad idea. Moments after he saw the boy shiver in the wind, he cast a warming charm over his body.

"Thank you," the blonde smirked. "So I guess you're not a ghost. It's unhealthy to take Invisibility Potions. That's why they're outlawed. You must have a very good reason to be doing that to yourself then."

Harry didn't answer him. He could easily see how smart the boy was and was hoping he'd figure it out on his own.

The boy opened his mouth to say something, but an abrupt sneeze changed his mind for him. Almost instantly, he broke out into a sneezing fit of the most girlish, delicate sneezes Harry had ever seen. When he was finished, Harry wordlessly summoned a tissue for him from the boy's bedroom. "It's polite to bless someone after they sneeze, but I'll take the tissue only because I'm not sure if you can communicate or not."

And then Harry shuffled around and found the shrunken flowers that had been put in a box in his pocket for safe keepings. He lowered it down so that it was eyelevel with the boy and then returned them to their original size.

Those grey eyes settled on them and stared at them for a long while before he reached out and held them close to him. "Thank you, again. I'll try to get better soon. I guess waiting out here in the cold for you isn't the best start."

Harry shook his head, but then realised that it wouldn't be seen.

"What's your name?"

He had been asked this question countless times, and each time, he told the questioner a lie. Naturally, the name 'Cloak' was the first answer on his lips. However, he found himself biting that answer back. Just as he opened to speak, the mother came into sight again.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" she hissed with annoyance. "Being out here in the cold isn't going to help you get any better. You know how bad your immune system is." She let out a breath when she finished walking towards the two young wizards. "If your father found out that you were out here _again_, you'd never hear the end of it."

"I know, Mother," the boy sighed and unconsciously held the flowers closer to himself.

"Where'd you get them from?" A perfectly blonde eyebrow rose at the question.

"I-one of my friends know that I'm sick…their owl just delivered it then."

The answer didn't please her. "All of your friends know that you're not well and none have ever sent you flowers before." She glanced over them with what appeared to be familiarity. "Do you know where they're from?"

The boy shook his head. "I've never seen flowers like them before, Mother."

Harry felt his stomach drop as the woman looked up his way for a moment or so. He should have known better than to choose the most obvious flowers he could find. But when he had seen the silver-tipped green lilies, he couldn't have thought of a better flower for the boy. They were so different to anything else he had ever seen, but they were perfect.

"These are the flowers of Salazar Slytherin. He chose his House colours based on these flowers. You can find them only in the Forbidden Forest on Hogwarts' grounds."

That seemed to impress the boy. "I guess they knew exactly what I'd like."

She still didn't seem completely convinced and looked out towards Harry again. "I want to meet this friend of yours, Son. Are you alright with that?"

"I'll organise it the first chance I get."

The mother and son duo shared a look between them before turning back inside. It left Harry feeling a little empty, but he knew he had missed his chance.

* * *

Harry couldn't drop in the third night. During his hasty escape, he had accidentally hit a tree. Stupid thing hadn't been there before-at least, that's what he'll tell Poppy and Grandfather Albus-and now he had a cut along his left temple. It wasn't anything serious, but he knew that he couldn't very well face the boy for the first time with a gash to the side of his head. That had to be the worst first impression known to history.

So, instead, he flew over the balcony and saw that the boy was there on his own. That night, he was sitting on one of the three chairs and was reading with the light of his room. He didn't perk up with each wind that blew past him this time. He did look up, though, when Harry passed him.

"You're not stopping this time?" he asked, closing his book almost angrily. Harry certainly wasn't happy to leave the boy there like that, but had no choice. The last thing he wanted to do was make the boy angry with him. They weren't even friends yet and he was certain he'd manage to screw it all up (not that Uncle Severus would let him use such language…). However, a bloodied face wasn't a friendly face. Harry knew that all too well.

He kept flying until he was safe at Hogwarts. The moment Severus saw what he had done to himself, he quickly sent him down to the Medical Wing, where Poppy was always there to take care of him. After years of training, she expected the young boy to drop in every now and then. She often cared for him when Severus pushed him too hard.

So there was no surprise in her voice when she greeted him.

"Someone finally knick you, did they?" she asked with attitude.

Harry groaned and led the way to the secret room. Few people knew about the room hidden behind the bookshelves containing all of Poppy's resource material. The wooden structure moved for Harry as he wordlessly told it to and was on the familiar bed before Poppy had grabbed her wand.

"They threw a tree at me," he lied with a sigh. She merely shook her head before she healed him. He knew he wouldn't be able to get away with something so simple. Due to Albus' orders, a full scan would be exercised just so he'd know nothing had happened to his weapon.

"You're fine."

Harry nodded his head, though it hurt a little, and headed straight for his room. It'd be good to get a good night's rest.

* * *

The boy wasn't waiting for him on the sixth night. Harry hadn't been given any missions in between, so he hadn't been able to check on him. All that Harry could find was a plate of food on the chair Harry had seen him sitting in. Under the plate was a note with only a few sentences on them.

_I can't imagine you'd be eating all that much. You spend too much time out at night. Here are some leftovers from dinner. What's your name? Mine's Draco._

Harry just about jumped out of his skin when the boy-Draco-opened the large glass door out to the balcony and placed a self-inking quill on the chair. He had obviously seen that they'd been picked up and had been floating in the air. It was then that Harry realised that he was still under his Cloak.

"_Master Draco_!"

They both turned at the shrill voice of a house elf. Draco rolled his eyes and shut the door with a slight slam. "Better?"

"Master would do unpleasant things to Dobby, he would, if he knew Master Draco had opened his door, sir. Is Dobby's important job to make Master Draco stay inside, it is."

Harry had seen house elves before. He had been down into the kitchens of Hogwarts enough to know all about the scampering little creatures. Dobby was no different. He had a long nose, pointed ears, and a voice to destroy the ears of an assassin.

"I'm doing nothing wrong," Draco muttered, though it was all muffled by the glass separating the two boys.

Dobby seemed to have a miniature stroke from the statement. "_Nothing wrong_? Master Draco, you has been sick all week nows. Dobby doesn't want to tell Master, sir, but Dobby will have to if Master Draco opens the door again. Master has told Dobby that Master Draco is to be in bed."

Harry couldn't help but smile when he saw Draco head over to the bed. "Well, I guess I won't tell my father that you neglected to keep me in bed if you don't tell him that I opened the door."

The negotiation had the house elf whimpering. The young wizard had found a loophole in the theory and was proud of it. Harry hadn't expected anything less from someone with eyes like his. They were so smart for someone his age. He hadn't seen it in any of the students at Hogwarts.

He instantly knew that this Draco boy was going to be fun.

Squeaking, Dobby bowed so low that his nose grazed the plush carpet before his hands started to fiddle with the pillowslip he was wearing. "Dobby will not tell Master, sir."

"That's what I thought." Draco climbed onto the mattress and slipped in so that his pyjama clad legs were covered by the blankets. He remained sitting upright. "Bring me my homework." Dobby did just that. The desk, which was on the other side of the room, was roughly three times the size of Harry's tiny workbench.

Harry felt his jaw drop and his feet unconsciously brought him closer to the glass. He had never seen such artwork before, and yet, he could clearly make out the beautiful pictures drawn by or for Draco. When Dobby finally found the parchment Draco had been working on, he took that and a quill over to the blonde.

"You're dismissed, Dobby."

Again the elf bowed. He left wordlessly.

After writing something down, grey eyes flickered up to where Harry was standing. "If I go anywhere near that door, Father will tear me to pieces. You're welcome to come through," he said before he returned to his homework, "but I'd like to see you if you chose to do that."

Harry had every intention of doing that if it weren't for the chimes ringing from Draco's clock. With an annoyed groan, Harry realised what the time was and had no choice but to scribble his name on the parchment and leave with the sausage from the plate stuffed in his mouth.

He knew Draco was watching him-judging him based on his footsteps, just as Pomona had-and threw a quick word over his shoulder.

"Thanks."

* * *

**Thanks for reading and hopefully reviewing.**


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